Liverpool won the English Carabao Cup League Cup this season after beating Chelsea after extra time with a dramatic header from world-class defender Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 in the 2023-2024 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on the 25th, with Van Dijk’s winning goal in the second half of extra time.

This marked Liverpool’s 10th career League Cup trophy.

It is a more meaningful victory for Liverpool as it will end the season with coach Jurgen Klopp, who has led the team’s revival since 2015 when he took the helm.

The Carabao Cup victory is Klopp’s eighth official victory in Liverpool.

Liverpool also beat Chelsea in the final of the Carabao Cup in the 2021-2022 season after a fierce battle to the penalty shootout.

Liverpool, which leads the English Premier League with 18 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses, will win at least two gold medals in the 2023-2024 season if it beats Manchester City 59 points and Arsenal 58 points.

On the other hand, Chelsea was the first team in English football history to kneel in the final of the Cup for six consecutive times.

Chelsea has recently turned their feet on the threshold of winning both the Carabao Cup 2019, 2022, 2024 and the FA Cup 2020, 2021, 2022.

All six of these games were played at Wembley Stadium, considered the holy site of English football.

Chelsea, which has fallen to 11th place 35 points with 10 wins, 5 draws, and 10 losses in the league, should look forward to the FA Cup, which has reached the round of 16.

Liverpool captain Van Dijk was the player who ended the fierce battle to extra time.

Van Dijk shook Chelsea’s net with a header from a corner from the right side in the 13th minute of extra time.

Quibin Keller, the goalkeeper of Liverpool, also performed perfectly. Chelsea had 19 shots nine shots on goal, but failed to open the goal that Keller held on to.

“This is the most special trophy I’ve ever won in 20 years,” Klopp told AP after the game. “I really liked it. I don’t think the one I saw today will ever happen again.”

He was more pleased because it was a result of a large number of key players, including Muhammad Salah and Trent Alexander Arnold, who led Liverpool’s heyday, as well as Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota, who left due to injuries.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, on the other hand, expressed disappointment. “Both the players and I feel the same way. I feel disappointed and painful,” Pochettino said. “When it comes to soccer, it is important to grab the chance.” 스포츠토토